By admin TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Early voting starts next week in Pima County.
Ballots will be sent to everyone on the active early voter list starting Oct. 7, the same day ballot drop boxes open across the county.
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Voters face lengthy ballot
In one week, Pima County voters can start filling out their ballots, making decisions about several major races, as well as local propositions.
For new or less knowledgeable voters, Sue DeArmond, with the League of Women Voters, said beginning to fill out the two-page ballot can be intimidating.
“They might feel like it’s too much for them to do, because not only are there eight propositions from the state, but two from the county and two from the city,” DeArmond said.
Pima County voters could see up to 11 local propositions and eight statewide measures in total on their ballot, depending on where they live.
Ballot guides were recently sent to those able to vote for each proposition, which only apply to specific jurisdictions.
According to state law, these pamphlets are required to be sent to each household with a registered voter.
Countywide and Tucson measures
All Pima County voters should have received pamphlets about Props 425 and 430, which are countywide measures.
Prop 425 deals with a base expenditure limit that would increase the amount of money Pima County spends every year from $817 million to $1.4 billion. According to Pima County’s website, it would not add any additional taxes for residents but would help fund public health, safety, and infrastructure.
Prop 430 asks voters to approve a $250 million bond for Pima Community College. PCC would use that funding to modernize aging buildings and expand workforce training.
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Tucson residents will also be asked to vote on . Those would ratify a 25-year franchise agreement with TEP and extend a sales tax for Reid Park Zoo, respectively.
Propositions 423, 424, 426, 427, 428, 429, and 431 apply to residents within various school and fire districts.
Statewide measures and voter education
Voters will also make decisions about eight statewide measures.
DeArmond said many of these are legislative referrals or constitutional amendments, which a lot of voters might not be familiar with.
That is why the League of Women Voters of Southern Arizona is hosting “What’s On My Ballot” events this month to help voters understand what they are voting for before getting their ballot.
“Our theory is, you know, if people know what’s on the ballot, they’ll be more likely to vote,” DeArmond said.
DeArmond said all of the different propositions can be confusing but hopes voters will take advantage of the time they have to educate themselves and show up on Election Day.
“I want voters to do what they do, and that is vote,” DeArmond said.
DeArmond said if you have the ballot guides, the best thing to do is read through them and decide how you want to vote before casting your ballot.
More information on the statewide propositions can be found on the Arizona Clean Elections Commission website HERE.
Early voting will start next Wednesday, Oct. 7, and the last day to register to vote is Oct. 5. A full calendar of election events can be found on the Pima County Elections website.
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13 News will be covering the Nov. 3 election and will post the results HERE.
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